


The Shape of Us

by Celerity_24



Category: No. 6 (Anime & Manga), No. 6 - All Media Types
Genre: M/M, Shape of Water crossover (kind of)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-08
Updated: 2019-10-18
Packaged: 2019-11-13 23:09:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 23
Words: 13,184
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18040850
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Celerity_24/pseuds/Celerity_24
Summary: So this is basically the bare bones of the shape of water movie plot but with Nezumi and Shion as the main characters. This is just the first chapter, there will be at least four altogether. Characters might be OOC. It's going to be different from both the movie and the anime, and as this is my first time writing anything, might just be straight up terrible. Constructive criticism is welcome, anything overly negative will probably be ignored





	1. 1

**Author's Note:**

> I don't own any of these characters or this plot, it all belongs to people who are far more successful than me.

If Shion had been given a choice, he thinks he might have liked to be a scientist. He didn’t quite understand the hustle and bustle of the men and women in the lab, the long, complicated terms they threw around or the strange machines they operated with ease. But the passion they spoke with when they discovered something new, the intense focus on their faces made it all seem so appealing.

Of course, this was but one of many fantasies Shion would indulge in while he was cleaning the admittedly dull grey floor, laundering white sheets and all the other monotonous tasks he did at the facility.

His background as a poor bakers’ son orphaned at twelve would have made his dreams extremely difficult, perhaps impossible to accomplish, but he couldn’t help blaming the red scar that wound its way around his body and throat, rendering him completely mute and, in the eyes of the world around him, a freak. The only reason he had managed to scrape a job like this was because the facility couldn’t afford to be picky, and there was little danger of his scaring anyone.

So, he spent his nights scrubbing and mopping until his hands were pink and raw, and waited for something, anything, to change.

Three days after his 16th birthday, he got his wish.

He had been mopping the floor in the sixth holding pen, which now had a tank in it for whatever reason. The tank was huge, and he couldn’t help wondering what on earth they were planning on putting in it. Shion pitied whatever creature was going in there, trapped in the dark little room. At least he got to leave at the end of his shift.

Two older scientists breezed past him, ignoring him as they always did. Few of them ever paid much attention to the slight, scarred boy who cleaned their toilets. It was better than the open stares and outright hostility he received elsewhere.

Shion watched surreptitiously from under his white hair as something that looked like a large metal cylinder on its side was wheeled in by two more chattering lab workers. He edged closer to it while they were talking, under the pretence of cleaning the floor.

He felt his heart race as he got closer, curiosity burning within him. What could it be that had them so excited? Was it dangerous? A shark or… something worse?  
The cylinder had a glass top, and he could see murky water inside. He shuffled closer, trying to see what was so fascinating.

A flash of silver caught his eye, and he moved closer, no longer trying to be subtle. The scientists weren’t looking at him anyway, three were facing the tank and arguing while the fourth, a slim brunette girl, was pouring in some green powdery substance.

Shion was almost terrified, but nothing could have persuaded him to turn away. There was another flash, and he realised. An eye. What kind of animal had silver eyes?

BANG!

He let out a ragged gasp and jumped, head whirling. He barely noticed when the people turned around, their annoyed words washed over him as he was ushered out of the room.  
His mind was filled with what he had seen. The hand. The fingers were pale and long, tipped with black claws, but unmistakably a hand.

Shion was on autopilot for the rest of his shift, mind buzzing with endless, unanswerable questions. As soon as his shift was over, he rushed home and banged loudly on his neighbour’s door. There was a groan and some faint barking noises. The door opened to reveal a very tired, pissed-off Inukashi, flanked by a few sleepy dogs.

Shion started signing everything that had happened, his pale hands moving far too fast for the tired person to keep up with. Inukashi scowled and pulled him into the tiny, dog-filled apartment and sat him on the couch.

“Slow the fuck down Shion, cuz I’ve got no clue what you’re saying to me” their tone a mixture of irritation and concern. Shion was rarely this agitated about anything.  
Shion took a deep breath and slowed his movements enough for his friend to understand what he was saying. There was no chance of their doubting him, Shion had never lied. His face was far too expressive and open for any kind of deception; even if he wanted to, he probably couldn’t manage it.

Of course, they didn’t know what exactly he expected them to do with this information. A glimpse of a hand thing on some animal thing in a secure research facility wasn’t much to go on, and there wasn’t really anything they could do about it. Yeah, it was intriguing, but it wasn’t worth being woken up at this unholy hour.

Shion only smiled, and finally calmed down properly, glad he had someone to talk to about this. Inukashi might be a little… rough, but they had always had a steady friendship. He never felt as though he was looked down on with them.

His exhaustion eventually caught up with him, and he went to his own small apartment to collapse into bed. That night, his dreams were filled with silver eyes and hands reaching from murky depths.


	2. 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> First proper meeting, I know its a bit rushed. I couldn't really think how to do it without writing a lot more. Also Nezumi is the creature (obvs) but doesn't exactly look like the one from the movie. He's basically an attractive guy with shiny scales here and there.

Over the next few days, Shions’ curiosity grew. His schedule meant that he could only enter the room once each shift, for thirty minutes at a time. All he had seen so far were scientists surrounding the tank, talking jargon and writing on clipboards.

He busied himself the way he always did, sweeping, mopping and wiping down cold steel tables with a quiet efficiency. From what he could gather, the… thing he had seen wasn’t co-operating. He couldn’t say he blamed it.

It took 2 weeks before his curiosity was satisfied. He had been on his way to the canteen, clutching his paper bag with his meagre lunch, when he was suddenly dragged into the room with the tank.

Blood. It was everywhere. The floor, the walls, it even dripped from the ceiling. Shion felt his eyes go wide and his jaw slack as he was brusquely handed a mop. Large red eyes blinked helplessly as the four scientists left the room, all chattering agitatedly.

Shion took a deep breath, then immediately wished he hadn’t. The scent of blood was a lot stronger than he had ever thought it would be. It left an unpleasant metallic tang in his mouth. He soaked the mop and started working, hoping that he wasn’t expected to do his other duties alongside this monumental task. He was sure it would take him at least an hour to get the room back to its former state, including clearing up the broken glass and scattered equipment.

Every so often, he would glance over at the tank, no longer entirely sure he wanted to see what was inside. As he cleaned, he found himself moving closer despite himself. When his stomach rumbled, he decided it wouldn’t hurt to have a quick break. No-one was there to tell him off, and they had interrupted his lunch, after all.

He edged quietly over and sat next to the large metal pool, keeping his red eyes trained downwards. His lunch was a simple one, four boiled eggs and a small cherry cake, like his mother used to make for him.

The water rippled, and Shion froze. Heart racing, he turned towards the water, seeing something move under the surface. He couldn’t tear his gaze away.  
Slowly, something started to rise up out of the depths. Shion gasped as he was suddenly face-to-face with a pair of sharp silver eyes.

The first thing that occurred to him was how human it looked. The (very masculine) body had a human shape, at least from what he could see of his torso. The skin was pure white, decorated here and there with scales that ranged from grey to green to dark blue around the hairline, where he had a long, sweeping mane of thick black hair.

Shion didn’t really have it in him to do much more than gawp. The creature seemed content to do the same, looking at the white-haired boy with what seemed to be no more than idle curiosity. Shion hoped he didn’t think that he was one of the people who had brought him here.

He stayed, still as a rabbit in headlights, as the creature moved closer. He glided through the water effortlessly, coming to a stop just a few feet away from him. It was only then that Shion noticed the thick black shackle around his neck.

They stayed, locked in that stare for what felt like an eternity, until Shions stomach rumbled loudly, startling them both. The creature quickly slipped back under the water, and Shion looked down at himself, embarrassed. Then felt a bit silly for being embarrassed in front of… whatever that was. He still wasn’t quite sure.

Shion blinked when the creature popped its head up from under the surface again, this time a lot closer to him. So close, in fact, that he could see the overlapping scales and where they blended into his hair. He could also see that, despite the broadness of the creatures’ body, he was clearly not being fed properly. There was a tautness to his abdomen, reminding him of his own days spent scraping by after his mother’s death.

The creature stopped moving towards him again but continued to openly stare. Shion knew, logically speaking, that staying in arms reach of something that had, only hours before, hurt someone badly enough to cover a room in blood, was not the most sensible thing he had ever done. The white-haired boy shrugged to himself and started to tap the egg out of its shell. He understood the risks, but he knew himself well enough to know that he wasn’t going to be logical about this. These, he decided, were extenuating circumstances.

So, it was without hesitation that he held the freshly peeled egg out over the lip of the pool, steadfastly looking into the gleaming silver eyes. His pale hand hovered over the murky water, only a few inches away from the scaly being. Shion waited patiently while it seemed to consider his offering, but eventually either hunger or curiosity won out, and it reached forward to snatch the egg from him. Shion winced when a black claw lightly scored his palm, but he had been expecting a lot worse.

He held back a smile at the slightly perplexed look the creature gave the egg, apparently not having seen one before. Shion looked down at his hands and then, on impulse, decided to sign.

Egg.

The creature frowned at his movements, obviously not understanding. Now that, Shion was used to. He signed the word again, then, ate his own egg as a demonstration. Understanding dawned in the silver eyes, and the egg disappeared between a pair of slim blue lips.

Shion felt a little thrill go through him when the creature mimicked his sign almost perfectly, until he did it again with an impatient look, and the boy realised he was asking for another. He ended up giving him the final two, telling himself that he could probably persuade Inukashi to treat him to dinner in exchange for some dog-washing. Although he wasn’t thrilled at the idea of more cleaning, he didn’t have the heart to deny the being any food.

After he finished the third egg, the (Shion desperately needed to come up with a better word than creature, but he really didn’t want to say it or thing either), swam closer, almost to the very edge of the pool and studied him. Shion felt his cheeks heat when the silver-grey eyes, shot through with sapphire lingered on the scar that ended on his cheek.

He was used to open staring, but for some reason he couldn’t quite articulate, he didn’t want this fish person? Merman? To think less of him, to see him as a freak the way everyone else did.


	3. 3

The second the door opened, the creature dived back under the surface and Shion went back to cleaning. The brown-haired girl who walked in gave him a funny look but didn’t say anything. He continued his work in silence while she stood in front of the tank with a clipboard, making notes.

Despite his trembling excitement, Shion managed to get the room back to its dull grey splendour before his shift was finally over. As soon as he got home he excitedly related everything that had happened to a very annoyed Inukashi, who begrudgingly fed him breakfast. They watched carefully while he signed and while the dog hoarder didn’t seem to know what to make of this strange new development, Shion was still grateful to have someone who would listen to him without question.

Over the next few days, Shion regularly broke the bank to bring the creature, who he had nicknamed Nezumi, as much food as possible. Eggs were a favourite, along with cherry cake, but Shion wasn’t entirely sure how good that was for him, so he tried to limit it. When Inukashi saw him sneaking some records along with the daily food ration, he was officially declared insane.

“How long do you think you can keep this up?” Inukashi demanded, scrawny brown arms folded across their chest. An old husky bumped his head against Shions leg and he reached down to scratch its ears absentmindedly.

For once, in all his carefully planned, meagre life of just looking down, following the rules, doing his best to get by while the world carried on, he felt like he was doing something that mattered. There was someone in his life now who didn’t see him as a freak, didn’t think he was lacking. A person who needed him. How in the world could he possibly give that up? He’d never be able to live with himself.

It was a bit rich of Inukashi to criticise him over this. The tiny apartment next to his currently held 14 dogs of varying sizes and breeds. Why was it perfectly ok for them to take in every stray they came across, but not for him to try and help an imprisoned person?

“Because you could get arrested you idiot! Hell, you might even get your ass killed for all you know!” They continued to rant and rave, gesticulating wildly while Shion packed a few other things he thought Nezumi might like, ignoring their annoyingly logical words. The dogs stayed calm, rather used to their temperamental master’s outbursts.  
The warnings washed over him, Shion just couldn’t let them in. As much sense as they made, he didn’t want to face up to it.

Shion walked into the grey facility, buzzing with ill-concealed excitement. He really hoped Nezumi liked the new records he had brought, a mix of classical and jazz. The first time he played, Nezumi had been so surprised he’d dived back into his pool, but he quickly grew to love it, and wouldn’t let a visit pass by without Shion playing at least one song for him.

It was difficult, trying to stretch his visits long enough for a meaningful interaction. Both without getting caught and trying to finish his heavy workload. The longest he’d managed to stay so far was 1 hour and 42 minutes and had almost lead to discovery.

Luckily for him, the scientists who observed Nezumi all seemed to be busy with something on the other side of the facility. Shion couldn’t care less what it was, his mind was filled with the excited look Nezumi gave him when he walked in.


	4. 4

_N..e..z..u..m..i..._

He carefully signed out the new name he had been given by the strange, silent human, marvelling at the graceful shape of the letters. He wasn’t entirely sure of its meaning, and he had a feeling that it didn’t carry the same weight as Eve, the name his former worshippers had given him, but still. It had a nice ring to it. Certainly, much better than constantly being called ‘the Asset’. Whatever that meant.

Nezumi knew he wouldn’t last much longer here. Away from his vast, beautiful ocean, trapped in a tiny, shitty puddle with bland food that only just kept him from starving. He could see how dull his scales had become, how his body had diminished. He’d been teetering on the edge of insanity before…

Shion.

Nezumi didn’t understand how a creature like this could exist among his savage captors, but oh, was he grateful. His beautiful figure, delicate features, the graceful way he shaped words and red eyes filled with a devotion that easily rivalled the worshipful islanders he’d used to visit. It was the scar that most intrigued him. The raised crimson line that started on his cheek and wound itself round his neck before slinking beneath his collar. Nezumi desperately wanted to trace that line. To see how far it went.

A part of him couldn’t understand why such a beguiling young thing (although he himself wasn’t all that ancient) would even show him any interest, not when he was so degraded, so far from his former self. He would have believed the white-haired male to be in league with his jailers if he hadn’t seen him scurry away so quickly every time someone else entered.

Nezumi had been filled with new desires, urges. He didn’t know if it was brought on by his situation, but all he wanted was to take Shion to his ocean, to watch him gaze in wide-eyed wonder at the deep, absolute freedom of it all.

Inside he was going crazy, being held like this, tortured, treated as some sort of aberration where before he’d been celebrated. But Shion. The white-haired boy was the one bright spot in this dull, dreary captivity.

Nezumi swam in slow circles beneath the surface, trying to keep himself moving without over-exerting himself. He knew he couldn’t use too much energy, but he also knew he needed to keep swimming to retain what little muscle he had left. The cynical side of him didn’t see the point in trying, but it was easily silenced with the memory of the strange red eyes that shone with affection, the pretty pink lips that would curve upwards when he saw him.

How could he fade, when he had someone who wanted him to live? Someone he, for reasons he couldn’t articulate, wanted to live _for_. 

 

 

 


	5. Chapter 5

The smile died on Shions lips as he struggled to process the horrifying scene before him. Before he quite understood what he was seeing, the innocuous brown bag fell from his fingers as he rushed towards the centre of the room. His worn shoes scuffed on the grey tiles, and he fell to his knees.

Nezumi was hunched over, chained to a pedestal, with thick blue blood seeping from multiple wounds on his scaled body. He slowly raised his head, chest rising and falling slowly, gills flexing weakly with every laboured breath. Shion could have wept oceans at the pain he saw in those eyes, and it would never have been enough.

He reached out and laid his pale hand on Nezumis' shoulder, utter helplessness welling up inside him. 

Fear spiked through his whole body when he heard the door start to open behind him, loud footsteps and angry words. He shot away from Nezumi and hid himself as best he could behind some large lab equipment, feeling like a coward as he did so.

The same group of four that were always there had now been joined by another, a tall man with an ugly smirk on his face and two missing fingers. Later, Shion would realise that he had probably been the source of the blood all those weeks ago, but right then his fear-struck mind could barely even comprehend what was being said.

He managed to catch a few words. ‘Asset’, ‘Liability’, ‘Unstable’.

_Dissection._

Shion felt his heart stop.

The brunette girl seemed to be protesting, but it was clear to Shion. The decision had already been made.


	6. Chapter 6

Inukashi had not had the best life. Abandoned as a child, they had spent most of their childhood running around with a near-feral pack of street dogs. That hadn’t been the bad part. It was when they were separated from their canine family and forced into a dingy foster home with cruel ‘parents’ who cared about nothing but the pile of cheques they got for cramming as many kids into their shithole house as possible. The one decent thing to come out of that ordeal had been the mute friend they’d picked up while there.

At first, it had been nostalgia. Shion had strongly resembled a rejected albino puppy that Inukashi had previously raised. If there was one thing Inukashi was bound to fall for, it was puppy eyes. After several months spent having the small, waifish boy follow them around, a grudging respect had developed between them. Shion had gone from being a slight nuisance to someone they tolerated, to a trusted confidante. It helped that not only was it damn-near impossible for him to spill any secrets (no-one else, including their so-called carers had bothered to learn how to sign), but he was also thin and light enough to be squeezed through a gap in the garden gate whenever Inukashi felt like running around with the old pack.

Shion was a lot of things. Their first human friend, the only one in the world they trusted, essentially a foster-brother in a much more real sense.

So, when he came, pale and shaking but with a look of steely determination in those red eyes, signing about some half-brained plan to _rescue a monster from a highly guarded government lab_ Inukashi was actually torn.

The rational side was saying logical things like ‘No’ and ‘Hell no’ and ‘Shion are you out of your fucking mind! I know you’re an airhead, but this is batshit insane!’

But the stupid, illogical part of their brain kept interjecting. Ridiculous, outlandish things like ‘the right thing to do’ and ‘he’d do it for me’ and ‘oh look at his face! How can you resist that crazy, fluffy headed puppy?’

Inukashi reached out and grabbed Shions rapidly moving hands, briefly stilling them.

“Shion,” they started quietly, the same way they would talk to a dog who needed calming down, “you don’t understand how…”

Oh god. Tears were falling from his eyes; his lip was quivering.

“…difficult this is going to be.” Inside, Inukashi was kicking themselves. _Now you’ve gone and done it you absolute-_

“We’re going to need help” they finished firmly. Shion grinned wide and threw his arms around their shoulders, burying his face in Inukashis’ soft black shirt that was covered in white dog hairs. They sighed and returned the embrace, making a mental note to bash their own head in later.

_What the actual fuck have I just agreed to?_


	7. Chapter 7

The plan was stupid. In fact, Inukashi would go so far to say that it was downright retarded.

  1. Fool highly trained government security guard with cheap fake ID
  2. Park next to a bunch of other identical black vans in the hastily painted rust bucket they use to take the dogs to the beach.
  3. Sit quietly and have a panic attack while the airhead waltzes into the facility, shoves a giant mutant into a fucking laundry basket and wheels it out to the waiting van.
  4. Drive out and take said mutant home and put it in the bath.



It would take two years to list everything that was wrong with Shions plan. But, as the silent boy had pointed out, neither of them could come up with a better one and Inukashi had already agreed. Inwardly berating themselves and outwardly berating Shion wasn’t going to change anything.

The thing that pissed off Inukashi the most was that Shion, the imbecile, didn’t seem to be the slightest bit nervous. His rich red eyes held a determination that Inukashi had never seen, he was just so… _driven_. It was a little unnerving, seeing their normally docile friend like this.

The engine stuttered as they turned a corner, just ten minutes from the nondescript building. Inukashi glanced over at Shion, who was staring resolutely forward. They tightened their grip on the steering wheel.

Yes, this was stupid. It was, in all likelihood, the absolute stupidest thing they had ever done. But there was no backing out now. If Inukashi hadn’t helped, Shion would have just tried to do it on his own, that was certain. And there was no way in hell that was happening.

The sky was black when they reached their destination, but the harsh fluorescent lights inside were less inviting. Inukashi ignored the twist of fear as the van pulled into the line-up, waiting for verification.

This was it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long! I know it's short but I promise the next chapter will have lots of Nezumi and Shion together.


	8. Chapter 8

Shion walked down the well-lit corridor, head down, hands firmly on the large basket filled with sterile white sheets. He kept his eyes forward, walking as casually as he could. It was ok. It had to be. There was no reason, none at all for anyone to suspect the scarred little mute boy who scrubbed their floors. For once, he was grateful for the disinterested gazes of people who regarded him as little more than furniture. It would make things easier.

He kept an even pace as he slipped into the facility, quietly shutting the door behind him. The surface of the water was as still and smooth as glass, Shion could see his own pale reflection. He leaned over the edge of the pool and touched the surface, evoking little ripples that spread out over the black mirror.

Was he too late? Was he standing in front of an empty puddle? Had his friend been taken by those cold, cruel scientists for god knows what?

Shion swirled his hand around, distorting his reflection. He couldn’t think like this. Jumping to the worst-case scenario every three seconds was Inukashis way, not his.

The seconds passed like hours, before his hope was finally rewarded. A light brush of something solid against his hand made him gasp. He looked down and saw Nezumi just below the surface, reaching his hand up to him. Shion grasped his hand firmly and struggled to pull him closer. The once graceful creature was now sluggish, every movement seemed to exhaust him, but Shion was determined. He met Nezumis silver eyes, tired and filled with an infinite sadness.

Shion gave him a smile and got him to rest his arms on the side of the metal pool. Nezumi didn’t smile back but something in his gaze was lighter. The mute boy pointed to Nezumi, then to the basket, then the door and smiled wider. Nezumis eyes narrowed, so Shion tried to sign his plan as quickly as possible. Nezumi looked down, and Shions hands fell to his sides. He had hoped his friend would understand, that he’d be happy.

With what looked to be a lot of effort, Nezumi looked up and started signing.

_I… d… i… o… t…_

Shions mouth turned down and he rolled his eyes.

_This is going to work_ he assured him. _You just have to trust me._ He smiled again and luckily, Nezumi was too weak to protest. He raised an eyebrow when Shion pulled out his borrowed bolt-cutters and snapped the thick black shackle but was docile enough when he was gently manoeuvred into the large basket. Shion soaked the sheets in the saltwater before putting them over him, hoping that he’d be ok for breathing. He was starting to understand why Inukashi had told him his plan was stupid.

The steel door was straight ahead. All he had to do was walk through it. His heart stuttered in his chest when something brushed his finger. He looked down and saw a slim, scaled hand retreating back into the white folds.

Shion squared his shoulders and walked forward.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ever notice how something can seem really long when you're typing it, then just shrink after you post it?


	9. Chapter 9

The veins stood out on his hands as they clenched the edge of the heavy wheeled basket. Shion did his best to keep his pace normal, not too fast or slow, trying to compensate for the added weight of the creature inside. To Nezumis credit, he remained as still and quiet as anything, the tense boy could almost believe that he was just moving regular laundry.

The wheels moved silently over the polished floor as they passed a group of bored looking scientists having a murmured conversation. None of them spared him a glance.

As he turned the corner and entered an empty corridor, Shion felt a small glimmer of hope rise inside him. One that was quickly crushed when a hand was laid firmly on his shoulder. He stopped almost immediately, fighting the urge to bolt away from the unknown person. Heart thrumming wildly, he looked up at the one who had stopped him, feeling a dim echo of surprise when he realised who it was.

The fourth scientist, the slim girl who didn’t look much older than him was giving him a searching look. She deliberately lowered her gaze, looking at the basket, and Shion couldn’t suppress his flinch.

“You don’t usually do this?” she said quietly, questioningly and he looked down. How could he have thought this would work?

“It must be because we’re short on staff” she concluded brightly, and Shion jerked his head up in shock. She had a small smile on her face and seemed to be looking somewhere past his shoulder before turning back to him. Her smile grew brighter and she gestured for him to continue walking, easily falling into step beside him. Shion decided he wasn’t going to question this sudden bout of good luck and pressed forward.

The girl continued to talk, switching between random snippets about her various experiments and rattling off a list of things she needed him to do whenever they passed anyone. She grabbed his arm again to make him stop when they reached the door to one of the offices. The sign read Dr S. Behavioural Psychologist. Shion was surprised that she was a doctor, he had assumed she was some sort of intern. As though reading his thoughts, she smiled and simply stated that she had graduated early. She then politely asked him to wait, and Shion ignored both his inner voice urging him to leave and the pointed rustle that came from the basket. It wasn’t as though he could get very far at any rate.

She didn’t keep him waiting for too long and as soon as she reappeared they resumed the walk to the underground parking lot. There was a fairly large black box in her arms, which she briefly opened for him to see that it was full of small turquoise coloured cubes. She snapped the lid shut and they both strode down the final corridor.

“You will fill the water tank as high as you can with lukewarm water” she instructed carefully. “The water must be changed weekly and you will need to add a new cube after each change. You will also need to add a great deal of salt.”

Shion was immensely grateful. They reached the thankfully empty parking lot and she even opened the doors to the back of the van for him. Inukashi didn’t appreciate the sudden sound and immediately started snapping at him before noticing the doctor.

They frowned at him. “You didn’t say anything about her.”

Shion shrugged helplessly and Inukashi rolled their eyes at him.

“I can assure you that I only wish to help” the doctor said lightly, eyes fixed on the irate driver. Before Inukashi could respond, they heard shouts behind them. Shion froze and Inukashi swore loudly. Shion quickly lifted the sheets off of Nezumi, who was looking extremely put out at this point. However, he allowed Shion to clumsily pull him into the back of the van with no protest.

The doctor closed the doors behind them, and Shion thought she might have said something about distracting them but it was lost in the sharp squeal of tires as Inukashi sped off.

Shion sat with his back to the wall, heart in his mouth as the van swerved wildly. He looked down at the warm weight in his arms. Nezumis head was resting on his stomach, his body lying between his legs. Those beautiful silvery eyes were looking right into him.

He reached down and carefully brushed a tendril of hair back behind a pointed ear. Nezumi let out a small huff and reached a shaky hand up to clutch at his wrist. Shion smiled and Nezumis eyes shone up at him.

The mute boy was more than happy to remain lost in those silver pools, carding a hand through silky black locks while his friends swearing and complaining fell on deaf ears.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is so late! hopefully someone still wants to read this...


	10. Chapter 10

Shion and Inukashi both scrambled out of the van and rushed Nezumi into the waiting bath. The scaled creatures breathing was laboured, and his eyes were growing dull. Water splashed over both of them as they lowered his body into the lukewarm water. Shion quickly snatched one of the cubes that the doctor had given him dropped it into the water, watching as it dissolved, turning the water bright blue.

Inukashi didn’t say anything, just leaned against the sink with their arms folded. Shion suddenly remembered the doctor’s instructions and rushed into the kitchen. He rifled through the cupboards, shoving tins and packets to the side until he found the salt. Shion ran back into the bathroom, almost slipping on the wet floor. Inukashi was frowning at Nezumi, whose breathing had grown quieter.

Hands shaking, Shion tore the lid off and poured all of the salt straight in to the water. He swirled it in, splashing some water onto Nezumi’s chest, neck and face. The two friends watched with bated breath.

Nezumi gasped, his eyes shot open and his chest thrust upwards. Shion sank back on his heels in relief and shot a relieved smile at Inukashi, who was finding it impossible to suppress their own grin. They both look back at Nezumi, who was looking dazed but already so much better than he’d looked in that horrible facility. He didn’t smile, exactly, but oh, the _way_ he looked at Shion. He watched as Nezumi closed his eyes, breathing settling into a more relaxed rhythm as he leaned his head back against the edge of the bath.

Shion smiled and ran his finger over the back of one scaled hand before rising up, deciding to let Nezumi have his rest. He certainly deserved it. They left the bathroom and went to Shions couch, Inukashi flopping down and flinging an arm over his face with a groan.

“You owe me Shion. I hope you realise your gonna spend the rest of your life washing dogs.”

Shion just smiled and hugged his dog hoarding friend. He'd never been more grateful.

After about half an hour of them just sitting on the couch, watching whatever random TV channel was on, Inukashi heaved themselves up and went back to their own apartment, mumbling something about ‘feeding the mutts’.

Shion had already fallen asleep.


	11. Chapter 11

When Nezumi awoke, he was confused. He had been certain that he was dying, lying in Shions arms while his lungs were stabbed with cold, bad-tasting air. There had been a sense of peace behind the pain. He would much rather die in this beautiful boys’ embrace than in that ugly grey prison. It would have been a nicer way to go.

His vision had blurred, the cold got worse, his body was being pushed and shoved all over the place, as though he was caught in a riptide. Until, once again, he had found himself in a pale imitation of his ocean home. Nezumi gazed down at his new puddle, a tiny, white tub that he could barely fit inside. The rest of the room seemed as cold and sterile, aside from a few colourful towels on a shelf. 

He lifted his hand from the water, watching as the liquid trickled from his scaled skin and dripped onto the white tiled floor. Gripping the edge of the bath, he forced his weak body up and out of the tiny pool, almost slipping on the smooth surface. Harsh breaths were forced from tired lungs. Limbs trembled and his vision swam but he managed to reach the slightly open door.

The land outside was strange and foreign in a new way, a way that his old prison hadn’t been. He slowly made his way down the hallway, knocking down framed pictures and leaving scratch marks on the walls. There was a soft light and the sound of multiple breathing coming from behind the door at the end. Nezumi stumbled forward and into the room, startling several sleeping dogs. There was another person in the room, a human that he didn’t recognise. Not someone from the prison.

Whoever they were, they were currently sleeping in a large brown chair with a husky sprawled across their lap. The sea creature had never seen a dog before and was extremely confused. The room tilted again and he desperately wished that Shion was with him.

Every time Shion had left him in the past, he’d been unable to shake the feeling in his gut, that he would never see his red-eyed boy again. This was different though, Shion’s scent was all around him, providing a sense of safety that he refused to trust.

One of the dogs walked over to him and Nezumi stiffened. It had a curious look on its face, tail wagging slowly and head tilted. He stayed stock still as the large black lab with a grey muzzle sniffed at him, flinching when it sneezed. Nezumi was… perplexed. He had absolutely no idea what to make of this creature.

Inukashi woke with a snort and the husky slid off their lap. Nezumi hissed at the sudden noise and movement of over a dozen dogs rising to energetically greet their master. He began to retreat to the bathroom, back to the semi-safety of his cramped pool, when the door behind him opened.

He turned around and caught a flash of a white coat, before panic overtook him and the terrified creature bolted from the apartment, fear driving his tired body far away.   


	12. Chapter 12

Shion was exhausted. All the staff had been forced to go through rigorous questioning at the hands of some very aggressive men. His own experience had been lengthened by his need for a translator, and his need to lie. The mute boy still wasn’t sure whether to be relieved or insulted by the relative ease with which he had managed to convince them not only of his innocence, but also suggest a high level of mental incompetence. Honestly. They were perfectly happy to bark instructions at him and assume that he knew which bits of high-tech equipment they were naming when telling him what to clean. Yet somehow they could actually think that he knew next to nothing about what they’d been keeping in the tank.

He sighed and pushed the door open, ready to sink onto his old couch and forget the whole debacle. Really, he should just be grateful that he wasn’t a suspect. No matter how that came about.

As soon as he entered the small apartment he felt the tension. Thick and uncomfortable. Two figures, one in a worn black t shirt and the other in a pristine white blouse were stood in the centre of the room, facing each other. Inukashi’s arms were folded defensively, shoulders hunched, while the other had their hands up and head lowered submissively. Shion recognised her as the scientist who had helped him rescue Nezumi.

Both immediately turned to look at him, while the various dogs that were dotted around the room dozed on. Oblivious and uncaring as ever. Shion frowned as Inukashi started signing to him, something they rarely did. Usually his friend would just talk or yell, rather than bothering to sign the words that Shion easily understood. What he saw made his heart stop.

_Asleep. No warning. Her. Just showed up. Scared._

_Gone._

Shion was running from the apartment, his exhaustion forgotten. The concerned cries of his friends faded into white noise. One word, signed by thin brown hands paired with a guilty expression was running through his mind, flashing in front of his eyes over and over.

Gone. Gone. Gone.

How could he be gone? Shion had only just saved him.


	13. Chapter 13

Shion ran outside, heedless of the rain and cold. Red eyes darted around frantically, scanning over the run-down area for a hint of blue scales and silver eyes. His heart dropped into his stomach and he started forward, then stopped. He took a deep breath and pressed his fingers to his temples.

Ok. This was bad, but not impossible. Nezumi was weak and in unfamiliar territory, so he couldn’t have gotten far. Shion looked around once more, this time cataloguing his surroundings carefully and trying to see them through the eyes of someone frightened and wild. He saw a soft light coming from the old movie theatre and walked towards it. Having been trapped in darkness for so long, it was logical that Nezumi would be attracted to the nearest light source, the unpopular cinema would be a good place to start.

He slipped through the door quietly, the soft red carpet muffling his footsteps. A couple were dancing on the large screen, spinning and laughing as though in a world of their own. The seats were empty, a lone figure stood in the centre aisle gazing up at them.

Shion approached him carefully. His heart was pounding against his ribcage. Slowly, Nezumi turned to face him. Bathed in the soft, flickering light of the screen, his eyes shone the soft curious grey he had seen when he first started to communicate with him. Shion could see him now, shadowed and lit up at the same time, and he felt a swell of some nameless emotion crash inside him.

Without hesitating, he reached towards the otherworldly being. His hand stopped a few inches away from his wrist, hovering, waiting to see if Nezumi would make the next move. He did, but not in the way Shion had expected.

Two clawed hands held his own, pulling him forward. Shion felt a little gasp escape his throat, a gasp that was ignored in favour of examining his hands, tracing the veins that ran up his forearm until they reached the line of his rolled-up shirtsleeves. Nezumi lifted his gaze to Shions then.

Shion could not for the life of him decipher that look. But the hands on his arms were gentle and he knew without a shadow of a doubt that this beautiful creature would never hurt him. The bone-deep certainty gave him the confidence to slide his hand into Nezumis and lead him back to the small apartment.

As they passed through the door both Inukashi and the doctor stood up, but quickly sat back down at a gesture from Shion and continued their murmured conversation. Nezumi followed Shion without protest and stood silently while he prepared the bath for him. After dropping in the cube and the salt he turned back to face him.

The look on Nezumis face was… intense, to say the least. Shion felt almost uncomfortable under such an unwavering gaze. He lowered his eyes automatically, only for Nezumi to place a claw on his chin and tilt his head up. Shion could feel a blush rising, deepening when a warm thumb pressed against the scar on his cheek and followed it down to his jawline. He swallowed suddenly, which was apparently an invitation to place another hand against his throat.

Silver eyes sparked in the dim moonlight coming from the bathroom window. There was a faint heat at his back from the water, the tiles beneath his feet were cold and he could distantly hear the faint murmuring of his neighbours. He was completely and utterly _overwhelmed_ by the person in front of him. Somehow, Nezumi had taken over Shions entire mind, soaking up all the available room until the boys’ head was filled with nothing else.

 A loud bark in the next apartment broke the spell and Shion quickly turned back to the water. The cube had dissolved and the water had cooled enough. He turned back and gestured for Nezumi to enter the water, which he did far more gracefully than Shion had expected. Shion blinked a few times and then offered a timid smile which was met with a curious head tilt and a simple signing of his name. He smiled further as Nezumi settled back into the tub, apparently giving in to his exhaustion and closed the door behind him.

He brushed off the doctor’s apologies and Inukashis gruff assertions that this whole mess was his fault and went straight to his own small bed. Slipping under the covers without bothering to change out of his work clothes, he swiftly fell into a deep sleep that was brimming with dreams of curious eyes and scaled hands.


	14. Chapter 14

It was strange how quickly things settled down. While the investigation at work was ongoing, the doctor (Safu, she had finally told him) had told him that the authorities suspected a foreign strike team had infiltrated the building as opposed to a sympathetic cleaner. Tensions had lowered and Shion no longer blushed guiltily every time an agent so much as looked at him. He had gone back to his regular duties, mopping and scrubbing on autopilot while his mind remained at home, thinking of Nezumi curiously exploring his tiny apartment and sometimes poking around Inukashis as well.

While his neighbour wasn’t exactly happy about this, a deep-seated wariness of the foreign creature stopped them from actually trying to remove him. For some reason, Safu had become a regular visitor to their tiny complex. Well, that in itself wasn’t particularly surprising. The strangeness was in the fact that she seemed to spend more time in Inukashis apartment than his. Shion found it somewhat hard to believe that a behavioural psychologist working for the government would find a swearing, anti-social dog hoarder more interesting than Nezumi. Then again, Shion had never seen anything like Nezumi before, while Safu had probably been exposed to all manner of fascinating things in her career at the strange facility. Besides, Inukashi had developed a strange tolerance for Safu that Shion rarely saw extended to two-legged people. Aside from himself, of course. Maybe a human with a canine personality was something Safu hadn’t seen before.

If Shion had spent a little more time thinking on these new developments, he might have been able to scrounge up a decent answer. As usual, his thoughts were inevitably steered back towards Nezumi, and his neighbours changing social life was quickly forgotten. Who cared if Inukashi was getting a bit nicer? That wasn’t nearly as compelling as the changes Nezumi was going through.

The white-haired boy was unable to keep from smiling to himself. His hands were sliding a damp cloth over the various beakers, test tubes and other paraphernalia on the table in front of him with automatic, practised movements. His mind was lingering on the previous days spent with Nezumi. Watching him sleep, eat and explore the strange world around him. Inukashi had called him a creep on more than one occasion, but Shion couldn’t bring himself to care. The reminder that he couldn’t keep Nezumi in his house forever lurked at the back of his mind, driving him to spend as much time with him as possible.

And it was just so _wonderful_ to see him getting better. The way his body was starting to fill out, his scales were gleaming, everything about him was so much _more_ than the starving creature he’d once pitied. That felt like a lifetime ago now. And honestly, it was hard not to feel good at each sign of Nezumis recovery, to not feel a bit proud because of it. It wasn’t as though Nezumi minded his attentiveness anyway.

Shions brow creased. Actually, Nezumi had been getting a bit… handsy lately. At first it had seemed to be nothing more than accidental brushes of skin, something to be expected when you had two people occupying such a small space. After a while Shion had attributed it to an aspect of Nezumis personality, or a trait of his kind. Or just simple fascination with his scar. But it still seemed a bit weird. Especially as it was happening more and more often, increasing whenever Inukashi or Safu were talking to him. Maybe the doctor would be able to explain his behaviour. It was her field of expertise after all.

He felt a little shiver down his spine, remembering the way a light finger had traced a line down the centre of his back when he was hunched over the bath yesterday. Over his shirt but he felt it as clear as anything.

The bell rang, shocking him out of his daydreaming and spurring him to rush through the rest of his cleaning. He quickly swept up all his supplies and stuffed them haphazardly into the closet before rushing to clock out.

Shion had never previously cared about staying a few minutes past his shift. But then, he hadn’t really had anyone to come home to before.


	15. Chapter 15

When Shion had finally gotten home, Nezumi was sat cross-legged on the threadbare rug in front of one of Inukashi’s dogs. The oldest one, a mongrel of at least 14 years. That wasn’t what made Shion stop in his tracks though.

Nezumi was _singing_.

Well, it was completely unlike any singing Shion had ever heard, but he couldn’t think of another word for it. Nezumi’s voice was somehow high and low all at once, beautiful, rich melodies that seemed to flow from him. Shion could hear the deep silence of the ocean depths in every note, feel the pressure of the water against his body. His mind and body were frozen in shock, so much so that it took him a good while to register the fact that Inukashi and Safu were in the room as well.

They were sitting on the brown leather couch, watching Nezumi with intent expressions. Safu seemed to have a more clinical interest in, well, whatever was going on. Shion could practically see her writing notes in her head. But Inukashi looked _tense._ Their gaze was locked on the non-human pair and Shion could see something in his friends’ eyes that he rarely had to face. Fear.

The only thing Inukashi feared was losing their dogs. Their pack. Shion had been there the last time, when the old bitch Inukashi called mother had died. That had been a harrowing sight. The purest rage and grief had almost consumed his friend, and he was sure that it was only the presence of the other members of their canine family that had kept them from breaking down completely.

Shion felt his heart clench tightly. He wasn’t sure exactly what was going on here. His head was still all muzzy from hearing Nezumis voice. But the last thing he wanted was to see his friend in pain again. But what did Nezumi have to do with this? As far as Shion knew, he rarely ventured over to Inukashis apartment when Safu was there, and he’d never interacted with the dogs. They’d simply ignored each other.

But this… Perhaps Trixie had gotten too old. Maybe this was Nezumis way of sending her off or something. Inukashi certainly wasn’t trying to remove him from the situation, and while wary if they felt that one of their dogs was in danger he knew how quick the near-feral teen would be to try and rescue them.

Nezumi was moving his hand now, before he had laid it on the dogs’ head and left it there, but now he was stroking her, his hand moving gently over her greying fur. His eyes were a soft grey, and he looked peaceful. Shion watched in awe as Trixie’s breathing started to slow. She’d been struggling for a while; her joints were swollen with arthritis and she wasn’t nearly as fast as she used to be. He wondered if she’d collapsed before he’d come home or if her breathing had just grown more ragged while she slept. It seemed to be quieting now.

He looked back at Inukashi. The way those skinny brown arms were clenched tightly around their torso, reminiscent of the way the child had hugged themselves in the care home brought tears to his eyes.

Shion looked back at the pair on the rug. He was fascinated by everything Nezumi did, but he knew he couldn’t face his friend right now.

Nezumi’s singing was growing quieter, the low tone and harmony beginning to match the dogs breathing. Shion watched as her side continued to rise and fall, wondering how long this was actually going to take. A frown creased his brow as a tentative thought formed at the back of his mind. It was silly, and ridiculously hopeful even for him, but could Nezumi possibly be…?

Safu gasped and Inukashi sat bolt upright as the last sombre note faded. Trixie stretched and yawned, heedless of the awestruck humans watching her. The fourteen-year-old, arthritic dog who couldn't even go for a walk anymore casually trotted over to the water bowl and took a few laps before wandering off to the room where the rest of the dogs were.

You could hear a pin drop in the room she left behind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So any of you who are familiar with the movie might be aware of the scene that I just butchered. But then, I pretty much butchered the whole thing, so hopefully you wont be too bothered. I just don't really have it in me to kill an animal off. Or anyone really lol. Some writer I'll be!


	16. Chapter 16

Safu’s reaction to the latest… development hadn’t surprised Shion in the least. Her fascination seemed to have doubled and the doctor had taken to visiting their little complex far more often than she had done before. Shion had become used to seeing her leave Inukashi’s place when he returned from his overnight shift at the facility. He wasn’t really sure what she was getting out of examining the dog so much, rather than looking at the one who had actually helped her, but he wasn’t going to question it. He knew that her presence still unsettled Nezumi, so anything that kept the two separate was a good thing really.

Inukashi had completely changed their attitude, which had surprised him. His abrasive friend had become far more accommodating of Nezumis curiosity. Not just tolerating his exploration of the apartment or his interest in her dogs, but actually going so far as to include him in the already stretched food budget, contributing to the high-protein diet Shion had been struggling to provide. He had even seen the two of them having somewhat stilted conversations in sign. Well, not a conversation as such, merely Nezumi pointing to things and Inukashi supplying a word and a curt explanation. Still it was far more than Shion had ever expected from the two of them.

He trudged into the apartment, yawning widely and set the two full grocery bags on the kitchen table. He shucked his jacket and headed into the living room, where he could hear a low voice muttering things at random intervals. Shion hoped that Nezumi wasn’t trying to get Inukashi to explain the tv again. As grateful as they were, it was unlikely that their patience would hold on that confusing issue.

Trixie was settled comfortably in her usual spot on the old recliner, sleeping without a care in the world. Shion was still unable to believe how well she was doing. Her breathing was even and soft as opposed to the ragged gasps she’d been making only a week earlier. She no longer needed Inukashi to carry her everywhere and her appetite had returned full force. All in all, Nezumi had done something incredible. Something unforgettable.

Shion turned to the centre of the room, where Nezumi was seated cross-legged on the worn-out rug, watching Inukashi cleaning the coffee table. He wasn’t sure what had made his friend so house-proud lately, they’d never really cared about cleaning before.

“Cup” they said flatly, handing the white mug over to Nezumi and signing the word. “You drink out of it.”

Nezumi looked it over before handing it back, apparently not finding it quite as fascinating as the TV or the pencils. He went on to point at the table, the shelf and a few other mundane objects around the room, all of which Inukashi named and supplied a brief explanation for.

Shion blinked when Nezumi pointed at him. Without missing a beat, Inukashi smirked and said “airhead”. He frowned. He wasn’t sure that he liked Nezumi’s almost gleeful expression. A sense of impending horror came over him as he watched Nezumi perfect the sign.

Inukashi sniggered while Shion sighed.

His eyebrows rose as Nezumi ran through a list of other words that Inukashi had apparently taught him, all of which were decidedly less flattering than ‘airhead’. Shion frowned as the language got cruder and Inukashi’s laughs grew louder, spurring Nezumi to communicate greater insults. He seemed to enjoy the combination of eliciting laughs from Inukashi and annoying the crap out of Shion. Eventually he stormed off, ignoring Inukashi yelling at him to come back.

Shion didn’t really know what to do with himself. Sulking wasn’t something he did often and usually his time after work was spent with Nezumi. He didn’t want to go back, despite knowing that he was really just being overly sensitive about this whole thing. It was horribly petty, but he had this pretty fixed idea in his head that Nezumi was _his_. It was hard leaving him every evening to go to work, knowing that their time together was limited. He had to make the most of their hours when he got home, but it never felt like enough.

And he was _glad_ that he and Inukashi were getting on better. It would be good for Nezumi to interact with someone who wasn’t Shion and wasn’t a lab worker. And he would have been far more upset if Inukashi had continued to be distant with Nezumi even after what he had done for them.

Shion sighed and pushed a hand through his hair. He really wasn’t used to feeling jealous. Not over a person at any rate. And certainly not of Inukashi. Really, he was just being silly. He heaved another sigh and rested his hands on his hips, looking back at the door to Inukashi’s apartment.

He turned and went through to his own, deciding to refill Nezumi’s bath before returning. He could at least make himself useful, to make up for his earlier melodrama.

Shion knelt in front of the tub, trailing his fingers through the surface of the water. He was so absorbed in the swirling turquoise patterns made by the dissolving crystals, he didn’t even notice when the door opened behind him. Which was the main reason he gasped and flailed when a clawed hand settled on his shoulder. _Not_ because he was an easily startled airhead with the personality of a baby deer, as some people might have suggested. 

He turned to look right into a pair of curious silver-grey eyes, feeling his cheeks heat up. Shion shuffled awkwardly and scratched the back of his neck, while Nezumi just stood and stared.

_Bath’s ready_ Shion signed, before moving over to the sink. He quickly started packing the unused crystals and salt into the box, all while keeping his eyes firmly trained downwards and willing his blush away. God he really was an airhead.

Nezumi placed a hand on the centre of his back and Shion felt his entire body go still. It was just a warm, light pressure against his skin that he could barely sense through his shirt. For some reason, he felt hyper aware of the touch, fancying that he could distinguish the feel of each fingertip.

He remained perfectly still, unwilling or unable to look up or turn around. Despite this, some of the tension seemed to leave his body, prompting Nezumi to move further forward and slide his arms around him. His strong, scaled arms. The right arm encircled his waist, hand splayed against his ribs while the left crossed his torso so Nezumi’s hand could grip his shoulder. A hard, broad, _masculine_ chest was drawn up tight against Shions back, and he felt Nezumi press his forehead into his neck.

It was this that finally gave Shion the courage to look up at their reflection.

Shions mind had gone completely blank. He was utterly ensnared by the sight of himself, the impossibly wide crimson eyes, flushed cheeks and parted pink lips. The slight, pale figure that was caught in Nezumi’s embrace.

He hadn’t noticed just how… healthy Nezumi was looking these days. The arms that held him were toned, the scales on his skin were bright. A strand of silky black hair had fallen over his shoulder and Shion could see how glossy it was.

This was a far cry from the starving, miserable creature he had pulled out of the facility.

Shion did feel happy at the prospect of Nezumi’s improved health, but it seemed to be taking a backseat to some other emotions that were rising in him. Confusing feelings that had him torn between wanting to wriggle out of Nezumi’s grip and wanting to burrow further into it.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writers block's a bitch

Nezumi was changing. Not physically. Something inside him was shifting. He was becoming overwhelmed with these new feelings, these fresh desires that were pulling him in directions he’d never dreamed of swimming.

All his life he’d lived in the ocean. His home was in the deep, surrounded by endless, eternal blue.

Then he’d been forced out, trapped in a cage of dull grey that had sapped his will and dulled his mind, to the point that blue was little more than a memory, one that faded day by day.

Shion had shown him red. A colour he’d barely been aware of was taking over. He would look into those wide, shining eyes and forget his blue waters, instead dreaming of swimming endlessly in crimson pools.

He looked into the still surface where those eyes were captured, where the slight body was shown to be in his arms. A thrill went through him. Nezumi could see the look on Shion’s face, read every detail of his expression, gorge himself on his beauty while holding him tight and feeling where they were pressed against each other.

It was intoxicating. Shions breaths were quickening, high gasps of air that caused him to constantly shift and tremble against Nezumis body. Every movement, every blink, the rising blush that was still pale against his blood-red scar was driving Nezumi crazy. He was finding it harder and harder to remember why he shouldn’t be doing this. Shion was innocent, young, likely had no idea what Nezumi wanted, probably hadn’t ever done anything like this…

His breath caught suddenly. He felt Shion move a bit, an instinctive protest against the vice-like grip he was suddenly in.

Had he ever done anything like this?


	18. Chapter 18

Shion had spent a good twenty minutes just lying in his bed, staring at the ceiling. Or staring in the general direction of the ceiling. All he could see was Nezumis face. The gleaming silver eyes that had almost seemed to burn when they met his. The feeling of being held, embraced was surrounding him, to the point that he was half-sure he had felt Nezumi’s individual scales pressing into his shoulder blades.

There was no question over whether he loved Nezumi. The otherworldly creature had claimed the highest place in his heart, presiding over any and everyone he had ever known, although that number was pretty low.

But, aside from a few embarrassing daydreams here and there, he could honestly say he hadn’t considered theirs to be a romantic relationship. It wasn’t something he _should_ consider, logically or ethically. Not only were he and Nezumi two different _species_ , but he was also the only one of his kind living with the one person who’d shown him any real kindness. Wouldn’t it just be like taking advantage? If Nezumi was lonely then Shion could safely assume that his options were limited. He doubted that either Safu or Inukashi would appeal to him. And leaving out any concerns about how a human and a human-shaped fish person would even go about any sort of physical intimacy, Shion didn’t think he wanted to be with someone when he was their only option.

Previous conversations with Nezumi had informed him that other members of his species were few and far between. Usually solitary. He had no close family, and Shion was just the closest person who had treated him decently.

He tossed and turned in bed, not sure why his eyes were stinging all of a sudden. There was nothing to be upset about. Nothing at all. Nezumi hadn’t done anything after he left, hadn’t tried to pressure him in any way. Not deliberately at least. Shion could still feel the overwhelming presence of the other all around him, as though he was still being held.

He pushed the heels of his hands into his eyes and took a deep breath. He just needed to calm down a bit. Eventually his heartbeat would settle back into its normal rhythm, he would sleep until his alarm woke him for work and everything would return to normal.

Unbidden, a voice that sounded suspiciously like Inukashi piped up, telling him not to be an idiot and just do what he wanted. He’d gone this far, broken the law, why not do something that would make him happy for once? What possible reason did he have to keep denying himself? If they both wanted this then why not just take it, grab a little bit of joy before they had to separate. It didn't have to be as serious as he was making it out to be. If Nezumi really did want him like... that, then shouldn't Shion just be grateful?

Shion sighed. He already knew what he was going to do. He had probably known longer than he would ever admit. He had seen how Nezumi watched him when he would spend time with him in the facility, the crooked half-smile he would wear when Shion played music and half-danced while cleaning. The way his sharp eyes would linger when Shion leaned over him, tracing his scar, exploring his figure.

He trod lightly on the cold wooden floor, tying a loose knot in his blue dressing-gown and closing the door quietly behind him. The whole building seemed silent as he hurried down to the bathroom, feeling an illicit thrill rush through him, as though he was doing something dangerous.

Wide silver eyes blinked at him in shock, then stared in wonder as he closed the bathroom door behind him and locked it firmly. His hands trembled as he undid the knot, and he heard a whisper as the blue silk slid and pooled around his feet. Suddenly, Nezumi was standing, water trickling down the planes and angles of his muscled, scaled body. Shion bit his lip worriedly, feeling aware of just how soft and scarred he was in comparison. What on Earth could Nezumi see in someone like him?


	19. Chapter 19

Small white teeth were worrying at a soft pink lip, and Nezumi was going insane. Shion had left, had rejected him, he was sure of it. And yet, somehow, he was here, without any kind of covering, and walking towards Nezumi slowly, hesitantly, eyes down with a blush on his cheeks. Looking down, Nezumi wasn’t entirely sure when exactly he’d stood up, but then red eyes snapped up to meet his bewildered gaze and suddenly nothing else really seemed to matter.

_You_

Nezumi blinked.

_And me_

His hands balled into fists.

_Together_

Shion barely had time to finish the last word before Nezumi reached forward and grabbed him, relishing in the soft gasp he just caught over the sound of water splashing onto the white tiles.

He clasped the pale, trembling body close and buried his face in the soft white locks on Shions head, breathing deeply.

Everything. Being taken, imprisoned, tortured, humiliated. He would go through it all a thousand times over if it meant he got to live in this moment, feel this person against him for an eternity.


	20. Chapter 20

Shion felt the tip of a claw against his chin, tilting his head up. Nezumi was giving him that intense look, the one that sent shivers down his spine. His other hand was settled firmly against his lower back, pulling him close as though worried he would leave again.

But Shion had already decided that wasn’t going to happen. He offered a tremulous smile and leaned slightly forward, apparently enough of an invitation for Nezumi to start attacking his lips with his, to pull him forward until Shion was lifted off the ground, and to start grasping at every bit of skin within reach. All Shion could do was let his head fall back and surrender to the desperate creature.

Excitement rushed through him, he’d never been wanted like this. It was a heady feeling, to have someone so beautiful just brazenly show their desire with rough, biting kisses that started at his lips and moved down to his neck, until he felt consumed, drowning in pleasure. He was sure that his neck would be covered in marks, and he didn’t care one bit. If anything, he was glad that he would have something to look at, something to prove that this was real. Nezumi wanted him. And they were going to be together.


	21. Chapter 21

Shion had to call in sick. Or rather, Inukashi had called in for him when Shion had been unable to get up the next day. Partly because he had spent the whole night in the bath. Doing things that had made walking somewhat difficult.

He had also had trouble looking Inukashi in the eye. To their credit, his friend hadn’t really wanted to look him in the eye either, so it all worked out.

Nezumi had taken to strutting around in a manner that Shion could only call smug, thankfully having been convinced that Shion could only join him at night. He spent most of the day playing happily with Inukashis mutts, particularly Trixie who had unsurprisingly taken a liking to him.

Apparently Inukashi had let Safu know of the latest change, but luckily she had refrained from asking too many questions upon seeing Shion’s embarrassment. Her interest in Nezumi seemed to have declined somewhat, which Shion found strange as to him, Nezumi was endlessly fascinating, but he supposed that if she felt she had learned all she could then it was really for the best. While he appreciated what the young doctor had done for them and was happy to see that Inukashi had made a two-legged friend, he generally preferred it when she and Nezumi were kept separate. Although Safu was nothing like the other workers at the facility, he still got a slight twinge of fear when he saw her with Nezumi. He didn’t think he’d ever shake that feeling, having seen Nezumi there once was enough to make him terrified of it ever happening again.

While Shion could somewhat safely say that he would be willing to give Nezumi back to the ocean, he knew he would die before letting him be taken back to the facility. If Safu hadn’t been instrumental in getting him out in the first place, Shion would never have let her in the apartment.

Although Shion was doing his best to ignore it, the date that he was supposed to take Nezumi back was creeping ever closer. Every time he tore a page off of his calendar he felt a sharp pain in his chest, as though he was physically tearing Nezumi away with each passing day.

Despite it all, he continued to smile for him. He welcomed every question, patiently explaining each new concept to the sea creature and revelling in his attention. Every night he happily allowed himself to be pulled into the bathroom or bedroom (depending on Nezumis mood) and sank deeper into pure sensation.

Those were the most joyous days of his life. Shion never wanted them to end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To whoever's still interested in this, I am so so sorry it took this long. All I can say is I've been going through some pretty horrible things irl and I just didn't have it in me to keep writing. I am going to do my best to finish this by the end of the month, as I'm not doing more than 2 chapters after this one. To anyone who's annoyed at how long this took, all I can do is apologise.


	22. Chapter 22

The date had arrived. The tide was in, the narrow window to the sea, to Nezumi’s freedom had opened and all of them knew it would close soon. Shion’s heart was sitting heavier in his chest than it ever had before. Every smile he gave Nezumi felt like a betrayal, but he knew that Nezumi liked it best when he smiled. He took to spending every possible moment he could with him, lavishing affection and eating into his meagre funds to supply him with expensive treats and gifts. Nezumi was eating it up, happily if somewhat bemusedly taking advantage of this more attentive Shion. From what Safu and Inukashi could tell, it seemed that Nezumi had attributed Shions change to his own beauty and prowess, rather than suspecting the nearing separation.

Inukashi had repeatedly told Shion that it wasn’t fair to keep ‘leaving the goddamn fish-man in the dark’ and that he shouldn’t wait till the last moment to tell him, but Shion ignored their advice. It was going to happen anyway, so why not just enjoy these last few days?

That had seemed like a decent strategy several days ago, but now Shion was starting to have some regrets. He and Nezumi were in the back of Inukashi’s van, and had it really only been two months since they were there the last time? He remembered that night all too well, the adrenaline as he walked through the cold corridors of the facility, the feel of a damp, trembling body in his arms, the gunshots and squealing tyres.

He still couldn’t quite believe it had happened. Their positions were now reversed, he sat ensconced in blue scaled arms. A few strands of glossy black hair had spilled over his shoulder and he could feel Nezumis warm breath on the back of his neck.

He hadn’t questioned them when they had urged him into the back of the van. They had chosen to leave in the early hours of the morning, when the streets were silent and empty. Inukashi was driving far smoother than they normally did, with far fewer muttered curses than usual. Safu hadn’t joined them like they were expecting, which had surprised both of them a little. But they hadn’t had the time to worry about it.

Shions thoughts froze as the van came to a standstill and his hands unconsciously tightened on Nezumis arms. It almost felt like a physical pain as he slipped easily from his grip.

Inukashi got out first to make sure the coast was clear before opening the van doors. Shion held Nezumis hand and guided him out of the van. He watched as Nezumi inhaled, eyes widening at the scent of sea air. The tall, blue-scaled creature moved slowly at first, then with more surety, coming to a stop at the edge of the water. Shion smiled through his tears.

His eyes were bright silver that flashed in the moonlight, his smile was calling him, drawing Shion forward.

_You and me_ he signed _, together_

Shions heart was breaking. He pulled away and shook his head.

_Without me_

Nezumi blinked and looked confused. _Together_ , he repeated.

The tears were flowing freely down Shions cheeks now. He shook his head more forcefully. Why did this have to be so hard?

_Without me_

Shion saw a flash of pain on Nezumis face and looked down. He reached up and scrubbed at his eyes with the end of his red coat sleeve. Although he felt like a coward, he couldn’t bear to watch the love of his life leave.

Inukashi shouted something incomprehensible behind them. Shion barely had time to turn and see before his vision started going fuzzy at the edges. A black car, men in black suits, Safu bruised and handcuffed, Inukashi fighting someone. He looked down. There was red on his fingers. He felt like he’d been punched in the gut, but that couldn’t be right. There wasn’t anyone near him except…

Shions eyes closed.


	23. Chapter 23

Nezumi had thought he was angry when he was first taken from his home. He thought knew rage when he had been chained, beaten and tortured. He felt no greater pain than when Shion, his beautiful Shion had turned his head and refused to stay with him.

Until he had seen him fall. In an instant, the need to have Shion with him was taken over, obliterated by the need to see him safe. It didn’t matter if all he saw was Shion walking away from him, so long as he was still standing.

But the shot had sounded, the red coated body had fallen. White hair was being plastered to the ground under the onslaught of rain. The men from the prison were drawing forward and Nezumi’s claws were sliding out.

When he was done, three bodies lay on the ground, dark red blood pooling around them being dirtied by the grey rainwater. He turned to where the dog keeper and the battered white coat woman were crouched over his Shion, having a rushed, panicked conversation that he didn’t even pretend to understand.

He walked forward purposefully and gently slid his arms under Shion’s small, curled up body. The dog keeper moved to stop him, but the bruised one laid a hand on their arm and shook her head. Nezumi didn’t really want to fight either of them, he just wanted to take Shion away from this horrible place. He strode to the edge and calmly dropped into the water.

At first he just floated for a bit, welcoming the feel of pure natural water in his gills, the true freedom of movement that came from being in the sea. Then he swam over to where Shion floated, eyes closed, white hair swirling around his pale face, scar shining like a crimson snake against his glowing skin. He laid both his hands against his neck and pressed their foreheads together, humming low in his throat. This would work. _It had to_.

Red eyes opened in wonder and Nezumi smiled.

 

 

 

 

_Three years later…_

They walked down the beach hand-in-hand, while dogs jumped and ran and gambolled around them. The sun shone high in the sky and they both waited patiently.

Safu spotted them first, Inukashi was busy grabbing some random bit of rubbish out of Trixie’s mouth.

Just on the edge of the horizon, one with long black hair and cobalt blue scales, the other with a crop of white hair and a winding red scar. They swam close enough to wave, before diving back below the surface. 

Safu kindly pretended to believe that Inukashi had sand in their eye. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Thanks to all who read this, finally over now sorry it took so bloody long! I have a newfound understanding for all fic writers with perma WIPs, this was dangerously close to becoming one and the story was already finished for me. Sorry if the ending is a bit disappointing to anyone, but honestly I'm just glad to have finally finished my first ever fanfic, for both my favourite couple and one of my favourite movies. Please let me know what you thought if you have the time and thanks to everyone who commented and left Kudos :)


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